EP3916156B1 - Road finisher with operating unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a paver for installing a road surface.

Before the paving operation begins, some preparatory activities must be carried out to make a paver ready for operation. For example, a lowered roof of a main control station must be raised, the screed lowered, a main drive started and a control system put into an operating mode. Complementary activities are carried out after the end of operation, in particular to protect the paver from the weather and vandalism, to move it or to load it for transport.

From the EP 3 214 223 B1 It is known to put a paver into a loading state by automatically starting a process after pressing a single switch on an operating unit, which is arranged on the side of the chassis of the paver, in which a roof is lowered, a screed and a distribution auger are raised and the installation screed, if formed as an extending screed, is retracted. From the EP 3 067 774 A1 a paver is known with a control system, a main control station, a main drive and a screed, as well as an operating device in the main control station and a further operating device which is arranged outside the main control station. All functions of the paver can be controlled with these two operating devices. From the DE 20 2012 003 217 U1 and DE 10 2018 208 500 A1 Other operating devices for a construction machine are known. The object of the present invention is to provide a paver with improved operating options.

The object is achieved by a road paver according to claim 1 and a method for operating a road paver according to claim 15. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

A paver according to the invention comprises a control system, a main control station, a height-adjustable roof, a main drive, at least one lighting element and a screed. Furthermore, the paver includes an operating unit which is arranged outside the main control station and has a plurality of operating elements, of which an operating element can be actuated to switch the control system on and/or off, and an operating element can be actuated to raise and/or lower the roof Control element for starting and / or stopping the main drive is operable, a control element for switching on and / or switching off at least one lighting element is operable and a control element for raising and / or lowering the screed is operable.

The controls can be designed differently and, depending on the function, for example as a switch, button, control button, lever, touch-sensitive touchscreen, in the form of an ignition lock that can be operated with an insertable key, or similar. To the physical The function and thus the operation can be designed to suit the design of the respective control element. One, two or more control elements can be provided for the respective functions. For example, the same button can switch on a function of the paver when pressed for the first time and switch the function off again when pressed again. Likewise, depending on the current status of the function, a button can give the opposite control command, i.e. switch on a motor when it is off, and vice versa. Likewise, a function of the paver can be changed depending on a frequency and/or length of operation of a control element. For example, when you press and hold a button, lighting can be dimmed so that its brightness increases. However, if the button is pressed twice in quick succession and held down the second time, the brightness is dimmed downwards. There can also be separate buttons for complementary functions or for states of a function, for example a button for raising the roof and a button for lowering it. A button can also be designed in such a way that not only can you switch between two discrete states, for example on/off, position up/down, but also intermediate states can be set continuously, for example the roof can be set continuously or depending on the duration of the operation of the control element is lowered or raised in stages. Likewise, three or more keys can be provided for different states of a function. For example, one button can bring the screed to a top position, a second button can bring the screed to a middle position and a third button can bring the screed to a bottom position.

The keys are expediently designed in such a way that there are no openings into the interior of the control unit, but rather, for example, an elastic cover only transfers the pressure to an electronic component underneath.

With an operating unit according to the invention, it is now possible to carry out the preparatory or final work on the paver from outside the main control station; in particular, the operating unit is attached to a location on the paver that can be reached by an operator standing on the ground. Because all relevant adjustment options can be addressed separately from each other using their own control elements, the operator can activate the relevant functions. This reduces the time required and also increases safety for those present.

Switching the control system on and off can have similar functions to switching the ignition on and off in a car. It allows the machine control system to be booted up before getting on the machine. So there can be functions based on The electrical supply, such as lighting, can be switched on without a main drive, for example a diesel engine, having to run. This main drive can in turn be started and stopped, for example by pressing a start/stop button. Likewise, the ignition and main drive could be operated depending on the turn of a key in an ignition lock. The ignition lock is ideally equivalent to that of the main control panel. Because this is now possible from outside the main control station of the paver, the roof can be raised and lowered using a hydraulic system operated by the main drive, in particular the main hydraulic system. Likewise, the lifting and lowering of the screed can now also be carried out from outside the main control station using a hydraulic system powered by the diesel engine. This means there is no need for an additional electric hydraulic unit. The machine's functions are available much earlier, resulting in time savings.

The operator no longer has to climb up to the main control station to operate the functions mentioned, which on the one hand saves time, but also makes work easier and increases safety, as this has so far only been possible with great difficulty when the screed is raised and/or the roof is lowered. The screed can now be lowered to ground level before starting work, which makes getting onto the machine much easier. After work is finished, the screed can be raised, making it more difficult to climb on and therefore vandalism.

In addition, full work lighting can be switched on as soon as the engine is running. This means that necessary set-up work can be started straight away at night, and this also leads to greater safety in the entire area around the paver.

The operating unit is preferably detachably arranged on the paver. The control unit can be screwed on, fixed to the paver by snapping it in, plugging it in, using a magnet or something similar. This means that the control unit can be removed from the paver after the end of operation and stored safely elsewhere so that no unauthorized operation is possible. This means that there is no need for a key or similar identification systems, which could otherwise be provided. In addition, for example, the operating unit can usually be arranged on the screed, but can be converted into a holder on the rear wall of the paver when the screed is removed from the paver.

In an advantageous variant, the operating unit is connected to the control system by means of a cable, in particular by means of a detachable plug connection. You can use a cable connection Data to control the functions of the control unit are transmitted. In addition, a power supply can be provided via this, which is necessary to operate the operating unit, whereby the operating unit can also have power storage devices, in particular accumulators, which can be charged via the cable connection.

The operating unit is expediently connected to the control system by means of a radio connection. This means that the control unit can also be used when it has been removed from the paver. This means an operator can operate the functions at a distance from the paver and thus have an improved overview. If the control unit is attached to the paver, data exchange can also take place via a radio connection or a cable connection. In order to generally make cable connections unnecessary, current or voltage storage devices in the control unit can also be charged inductively. This means that there is no need for plug connections that can be affected by weather.

The control unit is preferably arranged on the screed. Here the control unit can be positioned on existing components of the screed so that it is easily accessible. Particularly when loading onto a low-loader, only the area behind the screed is accessible, so that attaching it to the side of the paver chassis would be disadvantageous.

In a further advantageous variant, the operating unit is arranged on a plank riser. The screed access is the access to the main control station, which usually leads over the screed at the rear of the paver and is characterized, for example, by flat treads and a handrail or railing. Here the control unit is easily accessible to the driver, especially if the control unit is arranged on the lower section of the screed. Since the driver then climbs up to the main control station anyway, there is no need to walk around the paver, in contrast to a lateral arrangement of the control unit on the paver. This saves further time.

In a preferred variant, the paver has a lockable cover, which prevents access to the operating unit when closed. For example, it can be a pivoting flap that can be opened and closed. This protects the control unit from dirt and weather influences. The cover can include a locking mechanism, which allows locking and unlocking, for example using a suitable key. For this purpose, the operating unit can be arranged in a recess, which is closed by the cover in the manner of a box. The cover is conveniently made of sturdy sheet metal. The cover can be arranged on the screed so that the control unit is easily accessible for use at the appropriate position and only the cover needs to be opened. Likewise, the cover can also be arranged, for example, at a position on the chassis of the paver where the operating unit is only moved for storage when not needed, for example after the end of work.

In a further expedient variant, the operating unit has one or more display elements, each of which reproduces information about one of the components that can be adjusted using the operating elements. For example, light points in the colors red, green, yellow can be provided, which indicate an operating state of the main drive or the control system, or a locking state of the screed or the roof. Likewise, numbers or writing can also be displayed on one or more suitable displays. This gives the operator information about the status of the respective functional element and what settings can be made.

Preferably, at least one lighting element is configured to go out after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the control element has been actuated to switch at least one lighting element on or off. This means the driver can safely move away from the paver. Any time period can be provided, for example 10, 30 or 60 seconds. The control element can be configured in such a way that when pressed, a lighting element that is already switched on is switched off after the predetermined period of time. Likewise, the lighting element can initially be switched on in order to go out again after the specified period of time. Several lighting elements can also be switched accordingly using the same control element. In addition, different switching times can be provided depending on an actuation of the control element. For example, quickly pressing the control twice in succession can trigger a light duration that is twice as long as pressing it once. It would also be conceivable to control an illumination intensity, i.e. brightness, for example depending on how long the control element is pressed. In addition, it can be provided that one or more lighting elements go out with a time delay even when the ignition is switched off, whether on the main control panel or control unit.

In a further expedient variant, a lifting mechanism is provided for raising and lowering the roof, which includes an automatically releasable and automatically lockable end position lock. This means that it is no longer necessary to climb up to the main control station in order to manually fix the roof in its end position, for example the upwardly raised operating position, using bolts or similar. This makes work significantly easier Time saving. The automatic roof locking can be done in several ways. For example, bolting is possible with the help of an additional actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder or electric actuator. A non-positive fixing is also possible with the help of a corresponding clamping element. It is also conceivable to hermetically seal off the chambers of the roof lifting cylinder with the help of suitable valves. The latter two solutions offer the additional advantage that the roof can be locked in any position. Appropriate hydraulic cylinders can be used for the variants mentioned.

According to the invention, the control system is configured to allow the main drive to be started even before the control system itself is completely put into an operating mode after switching on. The control system can be programmed in such a way that the control system switches to a start mode initially after switching on, for example by turning an ignition key. This can be characterized by the fact that only small software parts are loaded into a main memory or are already present in it, so that their functions are available relatively quickly, with almost no noticeable time delay. In this start mode, the functions for starting the main drive are available, which can be started, for example, by pressing a start button or by continuing to turn an ignition key. Following the start mode, additional software parts can then be reloaded or activated so that the control system switches to operating mode in which all machine functions are available. The transition to the operating mode can also include the control system querying interfaces to identify the configuration in which the paver is constructed, for example which screed is installed on the tractor. This means that the control system can be fully booted up parallel to getting on the machine and carrying out preparatory measures, as well as with the main drive already started, which represents a significant time saving.

In a further expedient variant, the operating unit has operating elements which are provided for controlling functions of the paver during paving operation. Corresponding controls, for example changing the screed settings, can also be carried out from the same control unit. Cabling and maintenance effort is reduced.

• Betätigen eines Bedienelements zum Ein- und/oder Ausschalten zumindest eines Beleuchtungselements,
• Betätigen eines Bedienelements zum Heben und/oder Senken des Dachs,
• Betätigen eines Bedienelements zum Starten und/oder Stoppen des Hauptantriebs,
• Betätigen eines Bedienelements zum Heben und/oder Senken der Einbaubohle, und
• Betätigen eines Bedienelements zum Ein- und/oder Ausschalten des Steuerungssystems.

A method according to the invention for operating a paver, which has a control system, a main control station, a height-adjustable roof, a main drive, at least a lighting element, a screed and an operating unit, which has a plurality of operating elements, comprises the method steps:

• Activating a control element for switching on and/or off at least one lighting element,
• Operating a control to raise and/or lower the roof,
• Operating a control element to start and/or stop the main drive,
• Operating a control element to raise and/or lower the screed, and
• Operating a control to turn the control system on and/or off.

According to the invention, the main drive is started before the control system is completely put into an operating mode after switching on. As already explained above, the control system can first go into a start mode with a limited range of functions and thus a low computing load on a processor and a main memory, and then load or activate the complete operating software in order to go into an operating mode. In the start mode, starting the main drive is already possible, which means that secondary systems such as lighting or a hydraulic system can also be available at an early stage as soon as their operation is permitted by the control system, which can also be the case in the start mode.

Figur 1:

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Straßenfertigers,

Figur 2:

eine schematische Darstellung einer Bedieneinheit,

Figur 3:

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Bedieneinheit,

Figur 4:

eine perspektivische Darstellung einer Bedieneinheit angeordnet am Straßenfertiger,

Figur 5:

eine schematische Darstellung eines Hubmechanismus zur Dachverstellung mit Hydraulikzylinder mit Endlagenverriegelung,

Figur 6:

eine Schnittansicht eines Hydraulikzylinders mit Endlagenverriegelung,

Figur 7:

eine schematische Darstellung einer Endlagenverriegelung durch einen automatisch verfahrbaren Bolzen,

Figur 8:

eine schematische Darstellung einer Endlagenverriegelung durch Rotationsschnappverschluss.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the figures. Show it

Figure 1:

a perspective view of a paver,

Figure 2:

a schematic representation of a control unit,

Figure 3:

a perspective view of a control unit,

Figure 4:

a perspective view of an operating unit arranged on the paver,

Figure 5:

a schematic representation of a lifting mechanism for roof adjustment with hydraulic cylinders with end position locking,

Figure 6:

a sectional view of a hydraulic cylinder with end position locking,

Figure 7:

a schematic representation of an end position locking by an automatically movable bolt,

Figure 8:

a schematic representation of an end position locking using a rotary snap lock.

Corresponding components are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

Figure 1 shows a paver 1 with a control system 3, a main control station 5, a height-adjustable roof 7, a main drive 9, lighting elements 11 and a screed 13. Control system 3 and main drive 9 are indicated here as being hidden under a chassis cover. The main drive 9 is usually a diesel engine. The screed 13 can have a fixed width or have pull-out parts with which the screed width can be increased. A plank staircase 19 is formed with railing parts 15 and treads 17 to the main control station 5. An operating unit 21 is arranged on the screed 13 in the immediate vicinity of the screed riser 19. In the same way, the operating unit 21 can also be provided directly on a railing part 15 or at another suitable location. The roof 7 is mounted in a height-adjustable manner by means of a lifting mechanism 23.

Figure 2 shows a schematic representation of an operating unit 21 with several operating elements 25, which in this example have an emergency stop button 25a, an ignition lock 25b for switching on the ignition, a start/stop button 25c for the main drive, one operating element 25d for lifting and Lowering the roof 7, a control element 25e for raising and lowering the screed 13, and a control element 25f for switching off a lighting element 11 with a time delay. There are display elements 27 in the form of luminous dots, for example in the colors red, green or yellow, which indicate a state of the ignition, the main drive 9, a locking of the roof 7 or a locking of the screed 13.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an operating unit 21 with the operating elements 25 af and the display elements 27. In addition, there are operating elements 25g, which are used to control functions of the paver 1 in the paving operation, i.e. in particular functions relevant to the paving itself. Here, exemplary controls 25g for adjusting the left and right pull-out elements of the screed 13 are shown. The operating unit 21 can be detachably attached to the paver 1, for example by means of a magnet, or can be permanently installed or can only be detached with a tool. Illustrate in this illustration four screws 29 a permanently installed variant. In all variants, the operating unit 21 can be connected to the control system 3 of the paver 1, or a bus, by means of a cable connection 31 and/or radio connection 33, which is shown symbolically here, since the necessary antennas and components are usually hidden inside the operating unit 21. system must be connected. A detachable plug connection 35 can be arranged on the cable 31.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an operating unit 21 arranged on the paver 1, for example on the screed 13 in the position as in Figure 1 shown. The operating unit 21 is arranged in a recess 37, which can be closed with a pivoting cover 39. The cover 39 has a locking mechanism 41 in the form of a rotatable latch, with which the closed cover 39 can be locked, for example with a key, by the locking mechanism 41 engaging in a recess 43. This prevents unauthorized access to the control unit. The arrangement and design of the operating elements 25 differs from the illustration in Figure 3 away. The raising and lowering of the roof 7 is provided, for example, with a rotary knob as a control element 25d.

Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a lifting mechanism 23 for roof adjustment with a hydraulic cylinder 45 with built-in end position lock. The hydraulic cylinder 45 rotates the upper linkage part 47 against the base part 49 about a rotation axis Z to fold the roof forward and down. The end position locking in the hydraulic cylinder 45 can, as described above, be done mechanically or, for example, by means of a valve control.

Figure 6 shows the hydraulic cylinder 45 in a sectional view in a position of a hydraulic piston 51 moved to the left and to the right. Locking elements 53 each establish the end position lock.

Figure 7 shows a schematic representation of an end position locking of the lifting mechanism 23 by an automatically movable bolt 55, which in the end positions comes into engagement with recesses 57, a disk 59, which rotates with the upper linkage part 47 when it is passed through the hydraulic cylinder 45 (in this illustration not visible).

Figure 8 shows a schematic representation of an end position locking by a rotary snap lock 61. Here, a pin 63 of the upper, rotatable linkage part 47 engages in the snap lock 61 of the base part 49 in the respective end positions. The functionality of the snap lock 61 corresponds approximately to that of a door lock in a car.

Based on the embodiments of a paver 1 shown above, many variations of the same are possible. The operating unit 21 can thus be attached to any convenient location on the paver 1, for example also to the side. The control elements 25 can also have other useful functions in addition to those shown and can have a corresponding shape, such as rocker switches or rotary switches. The delayed automatic switch-off of the lighting elements 11 can refer to any lighting element 11 for which this is appropriate, for example lighting of the main control station 5 or external lighting of the paver 1.

Claims (15)

1. Road paver (1) with a control system (3), a main operator control stand (5), a height-adjustable roof (7), a main drive (9), at least one lighting element (11), a paving screed (13), and an operating unit (21) which is arranged outside the main operator control stand (5) and has a plurality of operating elements (25), of which an operating element (25b) is operable to switch the control system (3) on and/or off, an operating element (25d) is operable to lift and/or lower the roof (7), an operating element (25c) is operable to start and/or stop the main drive (9), an operating element (25f) is operable to switch on and/or off at least one lighting element (11), and an operating element (25e) is operable to lift and/or lower the paving screed (13),
   characterized in that the control system (3) is configured to allow starting of the main drive (9) even before the control system (3) itself is fully set to an operating mode after power-up.
2. Road paver according to claim 1, characterized in that the control system (3) is configured to load or provide a first software part, which does not comprise all operating functions of the road paver (1), into a working memory until startup of the main drive (9).
3. Road paver according to claim 2, characterized in that the control system (3) is configured to load a remaining software part, which enables an operating mode, into the working memory or to activate it.
4. Road paver according to claim 3, characterized in that the control system (3) is configured to querying interfaces during the transition to the operating mode to identify which configuration the road paver (1) is set up in.
5. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) is detachably arranged on the road paver (1).
6. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) is connected to the control system (3) by means of a cable (31), in particular by means of a detachable plug connection (35).
7. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) is connected to the control system (3) by means of a radio connection (33).
8. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) is arranged on the paving screed (13).
9. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) is arranged on a paving screen climb (19).
10. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a lockable cover (39) which, when locked, prevents access to the operating unit (21).
11. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) has one or a plurality of display elements (27), each of which displays information of one of the components which can be adjusted by means of the operating elements (25).
12. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one lighting element (11) is configured to go out after operation of the operating element (25) for switching at least one lighting element (11) on or off after a predetermined period of time has elapsed.
13. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lifting mechanism (23) is provided for lifting and lowering the roof (7), which lifting mechanism (23) comprises an automatically releasable and automatically lockable end position lock (53, 55, 61).
14. Road paver according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating unit (21) has operating elements (25g) which are provided for controlling functions of the road paver (1) in paving operation.
15. Method for operating a road paver (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 14 comprising a control system (3), a main operator control stand (5), a height-adjustable roof (7), a main drive (9), at least one lighting element (11), a paving screed (13) and an operating unit (21) which has a plurality of operating elements (25), with the method steps of

    - Operating an operating element (25f) to switch at least one lighting element (11) on and/or off,

    - Operating an operating element (25d) to lift and/or lower the roof (7),

    - Operating an operating element (25c) to start and/or stop the main drive (9),

    - Operating an operating element (25e) to lift and/or lower the paving screed (13),
    characterized by the method step

    - Operating an operating element (25b) to switch the control system (3) on and/or off, wherein the main drive (9) is started before the control system (3) is completely set to an operating mode after being switched on.

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